Sympathy from the Devil
by Ilthary
Summary: Life of Artemis Entreri,from his early childhood all the way to Icewind Dale trilogy.Learn how did he get in possession of his famous jeweled life stealing dagger


**SYMPATHY FROM THE DEVIL**

by Ilthary

_At first I intended to write a sequel to Dave's „A Rainbow in the Dark" but as I wrote the first chapter I realized I couldn't do it.There's no way that with my current skill I could interprete the characters both RAS and Dave have skillfuly woven.One day I hope I'd be able to continue David Pontiers skillfull work,of course if he doesn't before me.So I decided to try and make a new story,a story about Entreri's life,the paths he has taken that made him the most deadly assassin in the streets of Calimport, all of the Calimshan,and probably in all of Faerun._

**Prologue**

„Call Haelan now!" Pasha Tesendi commanded one of the servant girls that worked in his guildhouse.

Pasha Tesendi's guild was the largest and the most powerful guild in Calimport. He controlled 1/3 of all Calimport.His profit came from the Trades, Faiths, Jewels, Emerald and the Grand District.And he hated when someone didn't return the money they owed him.Haelan Grael also known as the Deadly Shadow was Pasha Tesendi's chief assassin and he usually solved all of Tesendi's problems.

Haelan entered Tesendi's main hall on the fifth floor of his guildhouse almost an hour later.Although Tesendi payed him a large amount of money he didn't respect the fat Pasha.

„Where have you been? I sent for you hours ago! I should have you killed because of your insolence." Tesendi threatened Haelan but the slender man shoved no sign of fear or discomfort.

„At least you came.I have a job for you." Tesendi continued after he saw that his threats weren't taken seriously.He knew and he knew Haelan knew that the Deadly Shadow was to valuable to Tesendi and he also knew that he didn't have anyone capable of killing Haelan.

„Of course you have a job for me,why else would you call me." Haelan said matter of factly.

„Yes,well.There's a merchant in the Trades District named Gorick Entreri that owes me a large amount of gold,but when Jaed here" Pasha pointed to a youth standing in the corner of the room holding his arm like it was broken „went to collect the fee this Entreri guy owes me the bastard pulled out some kind of a mace and broke Jaed's arm."

Before Tesendi could continue Haelan interupted „So you want me to kill him and collect everything of value from his shop." Pasha realized that Haelan stated not asked but Jaed didn't „Of course he wants you to do that are you stupid or something?Pasha Tesendi I don't see the reason why should you send this guy I'm perfectly capable of killing the merchant and his family." Before Jaed could even finish the sentence Haelan was a blur of motion,he turned towards Jaed in an instant and he threw one of his daggers at the same time.Jaed barely dodged the dagger and he thought that he escaped death this time but when he looked up one of Haelan's kukri (curved long dagger) slit his throat.

Young thief wasn't even dead yet when Haelan asked the amazed Tesendi „What's the adress of the merchant,and do I have to kill his whole family?" Tesendi just laughed glad that he had this man on his side and not against him

„Yes kill his whole family that will teach the others not to cross Pasha Tesendi."

-

Half an hour later Haelan was running silently across the rooftops of the Trades District towards Entreri's shop.He knew that,as most of the merchants in Calimport,Entreri had his house in the back of the shop.When he reached the roof of unfortunate man's shop he used one of the few magical trinkets he had,an amulet that hang around his neck and enabled him to become a shadow for a short period of time.When he became a shadow Haelan who already got used to this shapechange slid inside the merchant's house.

Haelan didn't even bother to look for traps,magical or any other because he knew that this Entreri guy didn't make enough money to afford a mage that would put wards on his house and shop.Solid again Haelan sneaked into the merchants bedroom where he found the man sleeping,his wife by his side.The Deadly Shadow silently walked the length of the room and stabbed the merchants wife in the hearth while he used his other hand to cover her mouth.The woman was alive long enough to see the face of her kller and the wicked smile he had on his face.Haelan walked around the bed to reach Gorick Entreri.

He unsheathed one of his kukris and he placed it under the man's neck,then he woke the man and whispered in his ear „Pasha Tesendi sends his greetings and he regrets that he's unable to do business with you anymore." Doomed man's eyes widened in fear and shock and he wanted to scream but he was unable to because his vocal chords were already cut and he died soon after.

Haelan laughed aloud and called upon the magic of his amulet again and floated into the starless night through the bedroom window of the poor merchant.

-

As soon as Haelan left another figure walked to Gorick Entreri's and his wife's bed.When he reached the bunk of the bed the figure started crying,because that figure was Gorick's only son the four year old Artemis.


End file.
